Abstract:
A voice coil actuator comprising a carriage assembly and a magnet assembly includes a cylindrical shorted turn resiliently mounted in the magnet assembly. The shorted turn is thereby allowed limited movement in a direction parallel to its own axis. In this way, the reaction force on the magnet assembly, caused by the movement of the carriage assembly during operation of the actuator, can be absorbed by the shorted turn.
Abstract:
A rotatably mounted pivot (12) of a rotating positioner for a magnetic disk memory has besides the pivoting arms (15) that carry the magnetic heads (4) a support arm (14) that carries a movable element (16) of a magnetic driving system. A locking device which releases the pivot only when the disk memory is in operation, has a holding element (23) that radially extends from the pivot and a locking element (19). In the most simple case, the latter is shaped as a leaf-spring which snaps into a predetermined locking position behind the holding element when the pivot starts to run. To release the holding element, a bipolar releasing pulse (v) is applied to the magnetic driving system (9, 10, 16) in order first of all to move the pivot away from the release position, beyond the locking position, releasing the locking device, then to move the pivot with maximal acceleration into the release position, past the released locking element.
Abstract:
A disk drive actuator (A) is described including automatic eddy-current braking capability, enhanced by simple modifications of coil-mount structure (D), such as split damping ring (DR) and spaced-rib array (DR-R).
Abstract:
Trackwise disparity (8) between inductive record (12) and magneto-resistive playback (14) heads which are built on a common support (16) is measured and memorized. Thereafter, during head-positioning, the memorized disparity is employed as a track-address bias for proper registration of the playback head, irrespective of its widthwise disparity relative to the record head. To achieve the aforesaid measurement, the invention provides for a self-calibrating algorithmic routing that generates the aforesaid bias.
Abstract:
A disk storage system comprising a rotatable disk (10), a cooperating magnetic head (18), positioning apparatus (24, 26) for positioning the head at different radial positions of the disk for reading and/or writing data on the disk, a baseplate (16) for supporting the above, and control circuitry (33) for preventing oscillation build-up in the baseplate from deleteriously interfering with system performance. The control circuitry is constructed and arranged to control the timing of head positioning operations so as to inhibit the reinforcement of baseplate oscillations.
Abstract:
An actuator for linearly moving magnetic heads (22) in which an open-ended carriage (10) assembly extends down both sides of the magnet structure (12) in order to provide a much shorter actuator assembly than is typical. The loading mechanism (14, 16, 52, 62) is not mounted upon the carriage assembly (10), thereby allowing the actuator to have a higher resonant frequency than those actuators which carry a more complex structure on the carriage assembly (10). The magnet structure (12) is in the shape of an E with the motor coil (24), which is mounted across the open end of the carriage assembly, moving along this center section (18) of the magnet structure (12). Alignment pins (64) located at the other end of the carriage asembly allow the magnetic head arms (66, 68) to be mounted and aligned quickly and with precision.
Abstract:
A family of drives uses similar parts in order to provide economies of scale and overlap of tooling necessary to manufacture the disk drives. The family of drives includes a full height drive (10) having multiple rotatable disks (11) and a head positioner arrangement (15) moving data heads relative to the disks. The head positioner arrangement includes an integrally formed head positioner having two coils (45) and (46) and a permanent magnet structure having two pairs of fixed substantially flat spaced permanent magnets, each coil extends through one pair of magnets. The half-height drive (20) includes fewer rotatable disks than the full-height drive, and also includes a head positioner arrangement (25) for mounting the heads relative to the disks. The head positioner arrangement (25) includes a pair of fixed substantially flat spaced permanent magnets manufactured to the dimensions of the magnets used in the full-height drive.
Abstract:
A magnetic disk drive (11) has a linear actuator with crash stops molded in the retainer plate (44) of the drive. The retainer plate (44) holds various components in the drive (11). The crash stops include two leaves (46 and 48) which have sufficient resiliency to absorb the impact energy of the carriage (18).
Abstract:
In a magnetic disk drive, a compliant member (26) connects the top of the bearing assembly (21) for the actuator arm (20) to the drive. The member is compliant in the vertical direction and stiff in the horizontal direction to resist actuating forces being applied to the bearing assembly (21) when the actuator rotates the arm (20). The actuator arm (20) has a fork (34, 36) with a shelf (38, 40) on which the coil (24) is mounted.
Abstract:
A linear actuator (figure 2) for carrying read/write heads (18, 19) into engagement with a recording medium (14) includes a carriage (27) and a subcarriage (34). Flexible springs (36, 38) mount the subcarriage (34) to the carriage (27). A voice coil motor has a coil (22) mounted on the subcarriage (34). Initial energization of the coil (22) causes linear movement of the carriage (27) flexing the springs (36, 38) to produce small incremental movement of the heads (18, 19). Further energization of the coil (22) causes movement of the subcarriage (34) on the bushings (30, 32) to provide coarse adjustment of the actuator (figure 2).